Music-leaf turner.



No. 757,979; "PATENTED APR. 19, 1904.

' 0. THOMA, JR. MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

- APPLICATION FILED JA N. 4, 1904. K0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET L INVENTOR fiarles lama J U ATTORNEYS No. 757,979. PATENTE DAPR. 19, 1904.

0. THOMA, JR.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4, 1904.

no MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Arm/m s m: nonms PETERS co. FHoTmu'mu, WASHINGTON. D4 0.

Patented April 19, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICEJ CHARLES THOMA, JR, OF CARLSTADT, NEW JERSEY.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,979, dated April 19, 1904.

Application filed January 4, 1904.

To a, whom it may concern:

A lowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a simple, light, durable, and economic construction of music-leaf turner and one which will not injure the sheet or page of music in connection with which it is used, and, further, to provide a convenientlyaccessible means for turning one leaf after the other, each leaf being independently turned by a single movement of the hand, which movement will necessitate the removal of the hand from the keyboard for only a fractional portion of a second of time. v

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a construction wherein a single releasing deviceis in operative connection with all of the leaf-turning arms and wherein each leaf-turning arm is provided with an independent lock or latch lever, the releasing mechanism for each succeeding lock or latch lever being set in position for operation as the preceding music-carrying arm is released.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide adevice of the character described which will take up but little room and which will not necessarily mar the finest polished surface acting as its support and which includes a stand serving as a bearing for the musicsheets to lean against.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as

sic-leaf turner being in section.

will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification,

' in which similar characters of reference indi- .cate corresponding parts n all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved music-leaf turner, showing a part of a sheet of music carried thereby, a portion of the mu- Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the music-leaf turner with Serial No. 187,618- (No model.)

the front or cover plate removed, disclosing the operative parts of the device. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section looking upward, which section is taken practically on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is an end view of the device, the music-carrying arms being shown in transversesection.

The body A of the device is in the form of a box-casing comprising a back member 10, an upper longitudinal forwardly-extending member 11, the ends 11 whereof preferably extend beyond the ends of the body proper, and a bottom longitudinal member 12, the

terminal portions 12 whereof are shown as being bent downward and outward to form legs, and these legs may be covered with felt or other soft material, if desired. The'body of the casing is substantially completed in I construction by the addition of a front coverplate 14, (shown in Figs. 1 and 4,) and it may be here remarked that the ends of the body may be closed by suitable plates (0, as shown in Fig. 4, or the end portions of the said body may be left open.

At the front upper and lower central portion of the body A forwardly-extending horizontally disposed segmental lugs 13 are formed, and the front plate 14 is provided with a central correspondingly segmentally formed section 15, and in this segmental section of the said front plate 14 slots 16 are made extending longitudinally of the plate. These slots may be in any desired number, but they should correspond in number to the number of leaf-turning arms E employed. Longitudinal grooves or depressions 17 are made in the outer face of the front plate 14, extending one from the left-hand end of each slot 16 to the left-hand terminal of the said plate, and corresponding slots 17 m are made atthe right-hand portion of the said front plate 14, and at one side edge of the latter i slots 17 recesses 18 are produced, a recess 18 being" provided for. each slot 17'. A. pivot pin 19 is made to extend through the lugs 13 of the body A, the said pivot-pin being fixed to the said lugs. v

Near the left-hand end of the body A a keeper-plate 20 is secured to the inner face the right-hand end of the body, as is shown best in Fig. 3.

Adjacent to the keeper-plate 20 a releasingplate B is located on the inner face of the back member 10 of the body. This releasing-plate B is arched or curved at its left-hand end, and the left-hand end portion of the said plate has direct bearing on the inner face of the back member 10 of the body, as is also best shown in Fig. 3. The left-hand end of the body portion 23 of this releasing-plate B is flat and substantially rectangular, being provided with a transverse slot 24:, as is shown in both Figs. 2 and 3. here the curved section 22 of the said releasing-plate B connects with the body or flat section 23 a trough 25 is produced in the forward face of the said releasingrplate, the trough being rectangular or polygonal in cross-section. The polygonal or rectangular section 26 of an angular triparm C is made to fit in the trough 25, as is shown also in Fig. 3, which angular trip-arm C comprises a vertical member 0 and a horizontal member a. The vertical member 0 of the trip-arm O is pivoted in the top and bottom portions of the body A of the device in a manner which will enable the said member c to turn, the polygonal portion 26 of the trip-arm being between the upper and lower pivots of the said section 0. The lower or horizontal section 0 of the trip-arm extends forwardly beyond the forward edge of the body A at a desired point below its bottom portion and beneath an angular bracket D, which extends from the central bottom portion of the said body A at the front.

WVhen a music-turning arm E is to be released from its locking device, to be hereinafter described, and automatically carried, by means also to be hereinafter described, from the right-hand portion ofthe body to the lefthand portion of the body, the locking device is released through the medium of the out- Ward movement of the flat or body portion 23 of the releasing-plate, and when the plate is moved to accomplish such a result the slotted end of the plate moves forwardly from the back of the body and the curved portion 22 of the said releasing-plate is forcibly pressed against the back member 10 of the body, and so acts as a spring to return the plate to its normal position when relieved from tension. This movement of the releasing-plate B is brought about by turning the aforesaid angular trip-arm C, and such movement is accomplished by means of a shifting device consisting of a fingerpiece D, having sliding movement in the bracket D, which fingerpiece within the bracket is pivoted to one extremity of an elbow-lever 27, fulcrumed in the bracket D, as is shown in Fig. l, the terminal of the other member of the said elbowlever 27 being preferably curved, so as to have a bearing against a side of the lower or horizontal member 0 of the aforesaid triparm G. Therefore by quickly pulling down the finger-piece D the trip-arm C is rocked and the releasing-plate B is given the movement just above mentioned. It may be here remarked that the body is shown as braced at a point back of the plate 14 by means of a crossbar 22, and any desired number of such may be employed. 7

I have illustrated four sheet or leaf turning arms E in position in. the body. These arms extend longitudinally of the body and are preferably graduated as to length, the grad uation being such that the upper arm is the shortest and the lower arm is the longest. Each sheet or leaf turning arm is attached to a drum 0, and these drums, as is best shown in Fig. 2, are mounted to turn on the pivotpin 19. A spring 28 is coiled around each drum,one end of each springbeing secured to a drum, and the opposite ends of the said prings are secured to the arched portion 21 of the keeper-plate 20, as is illustrated at 29 in Figs. 2 and 3, and the drums are preferably grooved to receive the springs, in consequence of which construction only a portion of a spring appears in Fig. 3. These springs have a tendency to draw the sheet or leaf turning arms E over to the lefthand side portion of the body, and these springs are placed under tension when the sheet or leaf turning arms are at the right-hand portion of the body A, and conse'q uently locking devices are needed to hold the said sheet or leaf turning arms E in their latter position. Each sheet or leaf turning arm E is provided with a hook-shaped keeper 30, which extends rearward from what is the rear edge of an arm E when the arm is over at the right of the body, as is illustrated in Fig. 3. 1n connection with each keeper 30 a latch-lever is employed. These latch-levers, reading from the top downward, are designated, respectively, as 31, 32, 33, and 34% and are suitably piv- IIC oted on the back of the body near the lefta hand end thereof, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Each latch-lever is provided with a suitable head 35, adapted to engage with a keeper 30 on a leaf or sheet turning arm E. The upper latch-lever 31 is shorter than the others, all of the others being of the same length, and the inner end of this upper or shorter latch-lever 31 rests normally upon the front face of the releasing-plate B at a point above and to the right of the slot 24: in the said plate, whereas the inner ends of all of the other latch-levers extend normally over the aforesaid slot 24 in the releasing-plate B. The inner ends of the latchlevers are normally pressed rearward by means in Figs. 2 and 3, the said tongues usually extending from a bar 37 on which the latch-levers are pivoted.

of the lowermost drum, and these lifting-arms extend from the drums in direction of the right-hand end of the body A, having their left-hand ends outwardly curved and eccentrically and pivotally mounted on the drums by suitable pins 39, as is shown in Fig. 3.

At the front or right-hand end of each lifting-arm 38 a shoe & is formed, apertured for the free passage of the longer or left-hand end of a latch-levernamely, the latch-levers 32, 33, and 3tas is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and when the sheet or leaf turning arms E are carried to the right and are held by the heads of the latch-levers all the shoes 40 of the liftingarms 38 willbe over the slot 2& in the releasing-plate B, as is shown in Fig. 2. Each sheet or leaf turning arm E at its free end has pivotally attached to it a finger 41, and these fingers are adapted to be placed between the leaves or sheets of music to be turned, and at the upper portion of the body A a frame 42,

usually in the form of a lyre, is secured in any suitable manner, upon which the music has bearing between its upper and lower edges; but the lower edge of the music will rest upon the upper member 11 of the body A, having the end extensions 11. The said body Alias bearing upon the music-supporting ledge of a piano, organ, or a music-stand, for example.

In operation after the device has been set, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and after the music on the first leaf or sheet has been played the finger-piece D is drawn down by a quick movement of the hand, whereupon the slotted end of the releasing-plate B is carried outward, and consequently the upper latch-lever 31, which action releases the upper sheetturning arm E, whereupon its spring 28 acts to carry the arm over to the left and turn the sheet with which the finger 41 of the arm engages. When the upper sheet-turning arm is in position at the left of the body, the shoe of the uppermost lifting-arm 38 will have been carried over the releasing-plate at its right-hand end, while the shoes of the other arms will remain stationary over the slot 2 1 in the said releasing-plate. Therefore when the finger-piece D of the shifting device is again drawn down the shoe upon the liftingarm 38, connected with the latch-lever 32, will be carried outward by the right-hand end portion of the releasing-plate B and will release the latch-lever 32 from engagement with the second upper sheet-turning arm, whose spring 28 will then act to throw said arm to the left, and as the said arm so turns it will place the shoe 40 of the next lifting-arm 38 in position A lifting-arm 38 is con- 1 -nected with each drum 0, with the exception 'to lift the third turning-arm E when the finger-piece D is next operated, and so on.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In music-leaf turners, pivoted, spring- Econtrolled sheet turning arms, spring controlled latch-levers for the turning-arms, a release device for the latch-levers, an operating mechanism for the releasing device, and arms for establishing operative relation between the releasing device and the latch-levers, said arms being placed in position by the throw of the turning-arms.

2. In music-leaf turners,pivoted spring-controlled latch-levers for the turning-arms, actuating-arms for the latch-levers, connections whereby the actuating-arms are thrown into operative position by the throw of the turning-arms, a releasing-plate arranged for movement at the rear of the actuating-arms, the said plate being provided with an opening, shoes extending from the actuating-arms, having sliding connection with the latch-levers, and a shifting mechanism for the releasing-plate, as described.

3. In music-leaf turners,pivoted spring-controlled sheet-turning arms, spring-controlled latch-levers for the turning-arms, actuatingarms for the latch-levers, having sliding connection therewith and pivotal connection with the turningarms,a releasing-plate having an opening therein located at the rear of the latchlevers and the actuating-arms, said plate being provided with an arched spring-section at one end, the remaining portion of the plate being flat, and a trip-arm connected with the releasing-plate, as set forth.

4. In music-leaf turners, pivoted spring-controlled she'et-turning arms, spring-controlled latch-levers for the turning-arms, actuatingarms for the latch-levers, having sliding connection therewith and pivotal connection with the turning-arms, a releasing-plate having an opening therein located at the rear of the latchlevers and the lifting-arms, the said plate being provided with an arched spring-section at one end, the remaining portion of the plate being flat, a trip-arm connected with the said releasing-plate, a finger-piece, a guide for the finger-piece, and an elbow-lever connected with the said finger-piece and having operative bearing upon'the said trip-arm, as set forth. I

5. In amusic-leaf turner,aboxcasing,afixed shaft in the said casing, sheet turning arms pivoted on the said shaft, each arm at its pivotal portion being provided with a drum, springs attached to the drum and to the easing, spring-controlled latch-levers for'the said turning-arms, pivoted on the said casing, actuating-arms having sliding connection with the latch-levers and eccentric connection with the drums forming a portion of the turningto this specification in the presence of two sub- SCI'lblllg witnesses.

CHARLES THOMA, J R.

Witnesses:

CARL DAMOKE, FRANK A. OTTE. 

